We are all guilty of being a Negative Nancy every once in a while. But being a pessimist can have some major health consequences. This is because a negative attitude and mindset can increase tension and stress in the body. In fact, studies have found that the potential health consequences of pessimism can include: 

• A weaker immune system
• Chronic stress
• Higher risk of heart disease and stroke
• Chronic aches and pain 

In contrast, a 2015 study found that optimists were more likely to eat healthily, keep a healthy BMI, exercise regularly, and maintain a healthy blood pressure. Keeping a more positive and optimistic attitude can help you feel happier and healthier.

Unfortunately, we can’t always control our negative thoughts or attitudes  –  especially if we’re unaware of them! But with a little bit of practice and some self-awareness, you can learn how to identify negative thoughts and transform them into positive ones. 

For many employers, the most challenging aspect of workplace wellness programs is getting enough employees to participate. Just because your company offers an excellent employee wellness program doesn’t always mean your employees will be jumping up and down in excitement to get involved. 

One reason for this is many employees have questions about the benefits and purpose of corporate health initiatives – and rightfully so! You can’t expect employees to just start competing in challenges or changing their workplace habits without being educated first. An effective wellness program will explain its goals and answer any questions employees might have.

If your company isn’t seeing the participation rates desired, it might be because your employees aren’t fully educated on the benefits, initiatives, or purpose of your employee wellness program. Below are some common questions that employers should address with their employees to help educate, motivate, and inspire employees to get involved:

This year, we made an effort to provide our readers with relevant and helpful content for workplace health and wellness. With a few weeks to go, we've published 96 articles this year, so there is good chance you may have missed a few. To help you out, we compiled a list of our 10 most popular blog posts of 2017 and provided a summary below. Feel free to comment your favorites in the comment section below! 

#1: 7 Tips for Promoting Positivity in Your Workplace

A positive work environment boosts employee wellness. Which is why it’s no surprise that our most popular blog post of the year is all about workplace positivity. Practicing positivity and optimism has been linked to numerous health benefits, increased productivity, and less stress. We included seven tips to help you promote positivity at your company. Some examples include:

• Using positive messaging
• Expressing gratitude
• Knowing your mission

Check out the full blog post here!

Each year, more and more employers have realized that the strict nine-to-five workday schedule is outdated. Too many hours spent in the office can lead to chronic stress, poor health habits, and low job satisfaction.

In contrast, employees with flexible work schedules have been shown to have higher levels of job satisfaction and less absenteeism, along with reduced rates of turnover. By simply offering employees the ability to choose their own hours and work from home when needed, employers can improve the overall health and wellbeing of their employees.

If your company doesn’t currently offer some type of flexibility for your employees, we urge you to consider these five employee wellness perks of a flexible schedule:

The American Heart Association (AHA) has changed the definition of hypertension (high blood pressure) for the first time in 14 years. Previously, the standard for stage one of hypertension was 140/90, and has now been revised to 130/80. The previous standard, 140/90, is now considered stage two of hypertension. 

What does this guideline revision mean for us? Millions more of American adults will be diagnosed with hypertension. The percentage of adults living with high blood pressure has increased from 32% to 46% with the new guidelines in place. This means that nearly half of adults are at risk for serious health problems due to hypertension.

According to the AHA, the new guideline is designed to help people take preventative steps to control their blood pressure earlier in life. This is especially important because hypertension is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, which are the two leading causes of death in the world.

The workplace is one of the best places to practice gratitude. A grateful attitude leads to a positive and happy mindset. It also helps you learn to better appreciate the little joys in life. Unfortunately, gratitude is not often practiced in the workplace. According to a study by the John Templeton Foundation, people are less likely to express gratitude in the workplace than almost anywhere else, and a startling 60% of people never express thanks at work. 

Without gratitude at work, employees might feel unappreciated and undervalued. In turn, these employees will be less satisfied with their jobs and more likely to be looking for other opportunities. On the flip side, employees who feel gratitude from their employers and express gratitude to their colleagues are much more likely to be happy, motivated, and productive in their roles.

If you currently have a wellness program or strategy in place at your company but aren’t promoting gratitude, you’re missing a big opportunity. It’s important for wellness coordinators and HR pros to remember that employee wellness goes beyond diet and exercise – it includes a healthy and happy mindset. Though there are many ways to help employees achieve a healthy and happy mindset, we think one of the easiest ways to do so is by cultivating gratitude in the workplace.

The workplace is one of the most important places to address mental health. Sadly, however, the topic is usually avoided. It might even seem like mental illness doesn’t exist inside the office – which couldn’t be more inaccurate. In fact, mental illness affects many U.S. adults and is continuing to affect more and more people worldwide.

According to Center for Discovery: 

• One in four adults in the United States will be diagnosed with a mental health disorder in a given year.
• An average of six to eight years pass before an individual seeks professional help for their mental health disorder.
• Fear and shame associated with the stigma surrounding mental health disorders are the number one reason why individuals do not seek professional help.

Considering how common mental health issues are, it’s shocking that stigmas still exist and prevent individuals from receiving the treatment that they need. An article published by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) notes that stigma remains a major obstacle for employees coping with mental illness. Some employees with mental illnesses hesitate in fear that their supervisors or co-workers will treat them differently, and less than a third of them receive treatment.

With the help of a great flu shot vendor, hosting an onsite flu shot clinic is easy. But when it comes to employee participation, things get a bit more challenging. Employee participation is crucial to the success of an onsite flu shot clinic. Without enough employees getting vaccinated, a flu outbreak will still occur.

As a wellness leader at your workplace, you have the opportunity to promote onsite flu shots and encourage employees to get vaccinated. If this is your first year hosting a flu shot clinic, or if you haven’t achieved desired participation rates in the past, try out some of these ideas for promoting this year’s flu shot clinic: 

Jake Schroeder is one of TotalWellness’ newest employees and one of our most inspiring wellness champions. In just a short period, Jake has contributed a lot to our team in both a professional and personal manner. Besides being an IT all-star,  Jake has made an impact on his colleagues through his positive attitude, healthy habits, and insightful conversations.

Since we’ve all learned a thing or two since Jake joined our team, we thought we would share his wellness story to help inspire you too:

Workplace wellness should be anything but complicated. With so many employees stressed enough as it is, the last thing you want to do is overwhelm them with complex wellness initiatives and tasks. Fortunately, we’re here to help you take the hassle out of building a successful wellness program. 

Our newest eBook is dedicated to helping you keep your wellness program simple. By keeping things simple, you’ll be able to focus on the main factors that lead to behavior change and promote a healthy, happy workforce. We narrowed it down to five key factors that contribute to an effective wellness program: accessibility, communication, health assessments, screenings, and health education and activities. 

Here’s a sneak peek of what you’ll find when you download our free eBook: